Improvement in carriages



"0. H. PALMER, Jr.

Carriage.

v No. 208,923. Patented Oct. 15,1878.

N.PETERS. FHOTO'LIITHOGRAPHER. WASMINGTDN, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. PALMER, JR., OF MERRIMAC, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO F. AUGUSTUS DOUCET, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,923, dated October 15, 1878 application filed September 19, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHAs. HENRY PALMER, Jr., of Merrimac, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an lmprovement in Carriages, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof,is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in two-seated carriages, in which the box is not provided with doors; and the invention consists, chiefly, in afront seat, one half of which at one side of the box is fixed, while the other half at the other side of the box is connected at its rear side with the floor of the box by means of metallic straps, as shown in the drawings, so that the said portion of the seat may be lifted, moved forward, and turned up against or in front of the dash-board, the straps dropping upon the floor of the carriage, leaving an open passage one-half the width of the front seat, through which a person may walk to the back seat.

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a carriage box or body provided with my improvements, a portion of the box side being broken away to show the movable -seat connection, the said figure also showing, in dot-ted lines, the movable seat thrown forward to the dashboard and Fig. 2 is a top view of part of the box and front seat.

The box (1, preferably made as a square box, has two seats, I) and c, the latter being the front seat.

The box, it will be noticed, is notprovided with a door, or any side passage to the back seat; and about the top of the box is a continous rail, (Z, which will be made in any usual manner.

The front seat is composed of a stationary part, 2, and a movable part, 3, the latter part in this embodiment of my invention resting, when in position, on a projecting ledge, 4, forming part of the portion 2 of the seat, and upon a portion of the box on one side, as seen in Fig. 2.

At the rear of the movable portion 8 of the seat, by hinges e, are connected straps f,preferably of metal, bent, as shown in the drawing, to fit the slope or curvature of the front portion, 9, of the carriage-bottom and the lower ends of these straps are hinged or pivoted at h to the carriage-bottom, near theline of the front of the seat.

With the parts constructed as described, and shown in the drawing, the half 3 of the front seat may be lifted from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and be carried forward, as shown I in dotted lines, Fig. 1, leaving a passage-way for the entrance of a person to the back seat, I).

It will be noticed, by hinging the strap at the back of the seat, that the straps, when the seat is moved forward, will lie down close against the carriage-bottom, out of the way, so as not to be caught by the foot, which would not be the case if the upper ends of the straps were connected with the front end of the movable portion 3, as will be evident.

I do not broadly claim a front seat adapted to be tipped or swung forward; but

I claim- The combination, in a two-seated carriage having a box which is unprovided with doors or passage-ways between the seats, of a front seat divided into two parts, the movable part being connected at its rear edge with straps pivoted at the lower or bottom portion of the box, in a line near the front of the front seat, whereby the said movable seat may be carried forward to or near the dash-board, and the straps connecting it be brought close to the floor of the carriage, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. HENRY PALMER, JR.

WVitnesses ALBERT PARKER, M. PERRY SARGENT. 

